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Home Group – Nebuchadnezzar

by | Wed, Nov 20 2013

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Nebuchadnezzar (Nev’u-khad-nets’air)

This name means ‘May Nebo protect the crown’ or ‘Nebo defend my boundary’.

Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned in many places in the Bible, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all in relation to either his impending invasion of Israel for judgement or after the fact. But the most significant amount of information about Nebuchadnezzar can be read in the book of Daniel.

‘Babylonian’ is another name for the Chaldean (the Semitic peoples Abraham originally came from) and the ancient city is situated in present day Iraq.

Before the Babylonians rose to become a world empire, they were oppressed and suffered terribly under the Assyrians until Babylon rose up under the leadership of Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar lived from 605 – 562 BC and he was a mighty warrior and military tactician. He not only prevented Egypt and Syria from encroaching on his territory, he conquered the Phoenicians and the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 BC as well.

Nebuchadnezzar built the city of Babylon so that it became a city of splendour and came to be known as one of the most magnificent cities in the Middle East. Some archaeologists disagree with him, but Herodotus said that “Babylon surpasses in splendour any city in the known world.” He went on to say that the cities outer walls were 56 miles in length, 80 feet thick and 320 feet high – the wall was wide enough for 2 four horse chariots to pass each other. The city also had an inner wall, not quite as thick as the first but just as strong.

Inside this double fortress were smaller fortresses and temples containing immense gold statues made of solid gold and rising above the city was the famous ‘Tower of Babel’ which was very high and had a temple to the god Marduk on top of it. The most famous aspect of Ancient Babylon were the hanging gardens considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

The name ‘hanging gardens’ is not quite correct, it should really be ‘overhanging gardens’; they were actually vaulted terraces raised one above the other held up by cube shaped pillars, the terraces were filled with earth and planted with huge trees and plants which were watered daily by a team of workers whose sole job was to transport water from the Euphrates River to the top of the terraces to water the gardens and keep them alive. The water that was quite possibly pumped to the top with a chain pump that would then filter its way down through the terraces to water all the plant life. Apparently Nebuchnezzar built the gardens to relieve his wife’s depression. She (Amyitis) missed her green homeland of the Medes and found the hot, dry desert of Mesopotamia depressing.

When Nebuchadnezzar became king he inherited all the politicians and sycophants that served his father; these ‘servants’ were in for a very rude shock because Nebuchadnezzar was a very cruel and very unreasonable and irrational man. He liked beauty, he was creative (as was evident with his majestic gardens) and he surrounded himself with the best looking and most intelligent people from both his own people and the people he conquered. (Dan 1)

But…Nebuchadnezzar had a short temper and was known for his cruelty. The book of Daniel reveals that Nebuchadnezzar demanded his advisors and wise men reveal to him the dream he’d had and then reveal what it meant and when they couldn’t do it, he demanded all the wise men – even the ones not present –  to be slaughtered. (Dan 2)

When Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego) refused to bow down and worship the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar he threw them into a blazing furnace even killing some of his own soldiers in the process. (Dan 3)

Other historical writings reveal his cruelty too; when he led the Jewish captives from Jerusalem (this included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah) he refused to let the captives rest because he feared they might pray repentantly and God might rescue them, they didn’t rest until they reached the Euphrates River and the boundary line of Babylon. Even then he made them lay down chained and naked and to increase their misery, he had their Torah scrolls turned into sacks that were filled with sand that they were forced to carry. During his celebrations he tried to force the Jews to play their sacred worship songs to entertain him and in honour of his gods, they bit off their own fingers so they couldn’t play or were executed. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were truly remarkable young men to endure that and still faithfully serve this vicious tyrant.

During his reign Nebuchadnezzar inherited his father’s kingdom which included the western provinces of Aram, the Cimmerians and the Scythians; Nebuchadnezzar extended his dominion and fought against and defeated not only Judah (The Southern Kingdom) but he quelled the rebellions of the Phoenician’s, and then conquered the Egyptians and the Arameans.

Nebuchadnezzar was very arrogant and believed himself to be divine, he denied himself nothing and demanded unwavering, unquestioning loyalty from every one of his subjects. He was very immoral (which was not in the least bit shocking as his religion encouraged immorality) but some historians believe he had an interest in teenage boys.

What’s particularly interesting about Nebuchadnezzar is that he is the only Gentile who actually wrote an entire chapter of the Bible – Daniel chapter 4. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream of a mighty tree that gave great provision to all living around it, but the tree was cut down and left in the field under the dew but with the promise that one day it would be restored, and this was a warning for him to give honour to God as the King of the Universe and not assume divinity for himself; Nebuchadnezzar was the tree and it was God alone who appointed Nebuchadnezzar to be king and he was subject to God’s will not his own. Because Daniel had proven himself faithful and loyal and because he’d provided an accurate interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s previous dream, poor Daniel was called upon to give the interpretation of this latest dream and he was really frightened to tell it.

Unfortunately for him, Nebuchadnezzar ignored the warning and a year later judgement fell.

Daniel 4:29-33, “Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon. The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognise that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds claws.”

The Babylonian Talmud (which is not inspired Scripture by any means) claims that Daniel the prophet maintained care of Nebuchadnezzar during his 7 years of insanity and returned to serving him after he regained his mind and was restored to his throne. Amazing, considering what Daniel and his countrymen experienced at the hands of this most brutal of tyrants. Daniel’s faithfulness was ingrained in his character, it was non-negotiable for him and was not dependent on who he was called upon to serve.

This also shows how great and merciful our God is even to the most wicked of men, like Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 4:34-37, “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him who lives forever; for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendour were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counsellors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was re-established in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honour the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

Daniel chapter 4 is the personal testimony of a Gentile king who was cruel, brutal, merciless, immoral, corrupt, unreasonable, unbelieving, delusional, suspicious and callous; but he came to know and believe in the One True God and after his own personal restoration, wrote in his own hand his living testimony of brokenness to forgiveness and restoration by God and sent his declaration throughout his entire empire.

There is no reason not to believe that Nebuchadnezzar is in heaven.

As an encouragement to those who have hard-hearted and unbelieving loved ones, Nebuchadnezzar is a graphic example to us that we should never stop loving or believing for them to come to saving faith in Yeshua. If God was able to save a man such as Nebuchadnezzar, He can save anyone! Never give up hope.

Shalom

Mandy